revailed upon to take the seat at the Prince's left hand, while
Miss Macdonald had her usual place at his right. After the ladies had
retired Charles lighted his 'cutty,' and he and Kingsburgh had a
comfortable chat and a bowl of punch over the fire. Indeed, good food,
good fires, and good company were such congenial luxuries after the life
he had been leading, that Charles sat on and on in his chair, and the
hospitable Kingsburgh had at last to insist upon his guest going to bed.

Hour after hour the Prince slept on next morning, Kingsburgh being
unwilling to disturb the one good rest he might have for weeks; Miss
Macdonald was growing impatient and Mrs. Macdonald anxious, and at last
Kingsburgh consented to rouse him at about one o'clock. Portree was
seven miles off, and had to be reached before dark. It was decided that
the Prince might resume male attire _en route_, but in case of exciting
suspicion among the servants he had still to masquerade as Betty Burke
till he left the house. Mrs. Macdonald, her daughter, and Miss Flora all
came up to assist at his toilet, for 'deil a preen could he put in,' as
his hostess expressed herself. He laughed so heartily over his own
appearance that they could hardly get his dress fastened. Before he left
the room he permitted Flora Macdonald to cut off a lock of his hair,
which she divided with Mrs. MacLeod. What is a still more touching proof
of the devotion of these two good women is that they carefully took off
the sheets of the Prince's bed, vowing that these should be neither
washed nor used again till they should serve each of them as
winding-sheets. Kingsburgh accompanied his guests part of the way,
assisted Charles to change his dress in a little wood, and then, with
tears, bade him farewell.

Flora Macdonald rode on to Portree by another road, leaving her
servant, Neil MacKechan, and a little herd-boy to act as guides to the
Prince.

In the meantime, Donald Roy had been active in the Prince's service. At
Portree he had met young Rona MacLeod of Rasay and his brother Murdoch,
and, as he had expected, found them eager to face any danger or
difficulty for their Prince. They had a cousin rather older than
themselves, Malcolm MacLeod, who had been a captain in the Prince's
army. He entered into the scheme as heartily as the other two, and only
suggested prudently that Rona should leave the matter to himself and
Murdoch, who were 'already as black as black can be.' But Rona wa